Yo fixed up a fine supper for them of boiled fish and rice with tomatoes
and Mima beans mixed in. By this time they had gotten used to their sur
roundings, had recovered their composure and their appetites.
They really
stowed away the chow. This was followed by ice cream and cookles, heavily
sweetened grape ade and some bright colored hard candy we had left over
from last Christmas. The men were given cigarettes and all seemed contented
. and happy. Finally, we showed them a movie and there was not the slightest
reaction of any kind from any of them the whole time, It should be remembered that most of these natives had never been off the atoll and as far
as is known had never sean & movie.
The night was passed without incident and they seemed to rest wall on
their straw mats. The weather continued good and since we were proceeding
downwind at a speed of only LL mots there was prectically no motion of tne
ship. Next moming they ate and seemed to enjoy a big breakfast of hot
cakes, bacon, bread and jam.
After considerable rubber necking as we en-
tered Kwajalein hartor and during tne process of mooring to the pier, the
natives were disembarked at about O50900Mi to waiting buses in custody of
CosNavStakwaj. As they went over the side one could not help but cbserve
and admire the innate dignity of these simple muman beings and their naive
but forthright and optimistic attitude towards life. These seemed to be
expressed in a conversation with the native chief through the interpreter.
The chief was asked what they had seen and he replied with gestures
indicating a large explosion. He was then asked what they thought of it
~
a>)
a
and his reply was not the negative one as mignt be expected that the world
was coming to an end, but, "The world, we think she etart over again."
ENCLOSURs (1)